"If you save the life of one person, it is as if you saved the world entire." - Jewish Proverb |
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After Sugihara issued the visas, the Japanese saw an influx of refugees. The influx sparked their interest in the “Jewish problem.” Japanese admirals met with a few Jewish representatives and asked, "What is the inherent evil of your people that our friends the Germans hate so much?" "The Nazis hate the Jews because the Nazis know that we Jews are Asians," one of the representatives answered, "My dear friends, I have just come from Europe. I have lived with the great hate that the Nazis have for others. I think that perhaps no one who has not lived in the midst of it can understand it. But to get even an inkling of the scope of their hate, don't read their writings in the censored translations they give you. Read what Nazis write in original German. There, you will learn that you are also are on their list of 'inferior people.' So are the gypsies, the blacks, the Slavs...and the Japanese." Ultimately, the Japanese ended up protecting the Jewish refugees, despite pressure from the Nazis. | ||||
Actions and Legacies | Early Years | A Japanese in Kaunas | Into Obscurity Legacy of the War | Significance & Conclusion | Process Paper | Bibliography |